POLITICAL pundit Iain Dale stormed off GMB in fury this morning after a panellist claimed the Tate Modern attack was due to Tory austerity. The panellist pulled off his microphone as he was interrupted during the debate with Grace Blakeley – raging “right, that’s it”. The panel debate had started civil enough as they discussed […]
POLITICAL pundit Iain Dale stormed off GMB in fury this morning after a panellist claimed the Tate Modern attack was due to Tory austerity.
The panellist pulled off his microphone as he was interrupted during the debate with Grace Blakeley – raging “right, that’s it”.
The panel debate had started civil enough as they discussed the horrific revelations that Jonty Bravery, an 18-year-old who threw a six-year-old boy 100ft off the Tate Modern, had told carers about his plan a year before the attack.
One carer claimed they had alerted a more senior colleague about the claims – something care provider Spencer and Arlington denied.
The teen, who has autism, had been assigned up to six full-time carers for round the clock care.
Discussing the reports this morning, panellist Grace Blakeley quickly jumped in, saying: “I’ve worked with quite a lot of counsellors who have worked in and around children’s social care that is obviously funded by local authorities and local authorities have had their funding cut an unbelievable amount.”
She added: “This is again, another story that you can actually trace back to austerity and it doesn’t look like it is getting any better.”
But Iain Dale then stepped in, saying: “Utter rubbish, if I may so.
“It’s nothing to do with cuts, this is to do with people doing the sensible thing and reporting something.
“You don’t have to have thousands of pounds to be sensible to report something.”
Grace then hit back saying: “You have to have a basic amount of money to be able to respond.”
Their fellow panellist Nihal Arthanayake then argued: “Do you want data?”
The pair then continued to cut over Mr Dale, with the pundit finally declaring: “Right, I won’t speak.”
And when urged by hosts Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard to keep debating, the regular panellist said: “Right, that’s it” and dramatically pulled of his mic and left.
The move stunned the hosts and guests, with Kate saying: “I would have liked to hear what he had to say.”
But despite the interruption, the debate then continued.
Mr Dale later tweeted: “I enjoy my early mornings on GMB with Jacqui Smith because they’re all about civilised discussion.
“Today’s was not. It was about closing me down.
“I decided it wasn’t worth hanging around.
“Apologies to Kate Garraway, Ben Shephard & Charlotte Hawkins but enough is enough.”
Jonty Bravery, 18, pleaded guilty to attempted murder after throwing a six-year-old boy from the Tate Modern in August last year.
One of his carers has said opportunities to stop him were missed, with recordings capturing the teen saying “I’ve got to kill somebody”.
His care provider, Spencer and Arlington, said they had “no knowledge or records of the disclosure”.
An independent case review has now been established.
